Guimauve á la Grenadine

Fifteen years ago my friend Leah gave me a recipe for homemade marshmallows. I never got around to making them, it seemed so intimidating. I have never seen commercial packaged marshmallow here in Buenos Aires, but have been collecting recipes here and there. It was this recipe that finally made me jump into action. They looked so delectable, so French! Not like the pasty, puffy common marshmallow that I know.

Flavourings are a little harder to find, C&Z recommends Rose Syrup, alas Rose Water is very dear here, so I thought I would substitute the Rose for Grenadine Syrup. Also I thought this way the guimauve-marshmallow would have a lovely rosy hue. Well it turned out to be more bisque. I took the recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini but followed the directions from Martha Stewart, and had to improvise a little.

Ingredients:

14 grams gelatin - gelatina sin sabor
3 egg whites - claras
40 grams honey - miel
230 grams sugar - azúcar
4 tsp Grenadine - Granadina

Directions:

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, papel manteca. Put sugar, honey, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.
3. Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture; with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Pour mixture into lined pan. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.

On day two:

1.Combine the confectioner's sugar and potato or corn starch in a wide, shallow bowl.

2.Have ready a mug of very hot water. Lift the parchment paper to remove the guimauve from the pan, and transfer the whole thing carefully to a cutting board, and cut the guimauve into squares, using a sharp knife that you'll dip in the mug to keep the blade warm.

3.Transfer the cubes of guimauve three at a time, using your fingers to separate them delicately, into the prepared bowl, and coat them well. The cubes will have a maddening tendency to stick to one another, to your fingers, and to the bowl (the top surface is especially sticky), so keep them separate and handle them lightly.

4.Once coated, set the cubes aside on a plate, and leave them out to dry for 2 or 3 hours, flipping them halfway through. Transfer them in a fine-mesh sieve a handful at a time, and shake over the sink to remove the excess confectioner's sugar powder.